Q.: How important is the role of the regional banks, like the Kuban Credit, in the development of Russian financial market?
A.: Their role is really fairly large. We are based here, and we do know the regional markets and their opportunities. It’s the regional banks that make the financial system well-balanced. Owing to such structures, the financial services have become accessible for all categories of population – even in the remotest places, where large state-run banks consider it inefficient to open a branch. So regional banks are really competing with large federal structures, and it is the customer who wins.
Q.: The Kuban Credit ranks high among the top rated best banks. What in your opinion is the main factor of your Bank’s sustainability and trustworthiness?
A.: Going up in different ratings is a real assessment of a bank’s activity. At the very end of 2015, the Rus Rating Agency raised our Bank’s credit rating from A– up to A, giving it a ‘stable’ forecast. The positive dynamics has been caused by our sustainable development in the framework of the chosen strategy and keeping intact our main financial figures.
Apart from that, in March 2016 Forbes once again included our bank in the list of Top 100 Reliable Russian Banks. We have climbed up to the 64th place, which is 14 positions above our last year’s result.
It is the well-adjusted conservative strategy, well-balanced credit policy and diversification of business that have become the main factors of our sustainability and trustworthiness.
As a consequence, the Kuban Credit ranks high among the region’s independent banks on all main figures: say, in 2015 our net assets grew by 20.6% compared to the average 9.4% of the regional banks and just 6.9% nationwide.
Q.: Is such a considerable growth a result of the fact that you are a local institution?
A.: Of course it is. Both the bank and its customers work in the same region – so we are well aware of our companies’ demands as well as their problems. Our decisions with regard to bank loans are taken bearing in mind our region’s specificity; and it is real people working at the Bank’s Head Office in Krasnodar who take these decisions – not ‘scoring programs’ or ‘credit factories’.
Q.: Has your policy undergone any changes in the conditions of economic crisis?
A.: There were no substantial changes. I can explain it by the fact that our Bank has always been adhering to its development strategy that allows for situations of any kind, including crisis. Understanding the need to finance businesses in conditions of economic sanctions, we have tried to introduce new programs and announce product actions that helped our customers raise their business. I can state that we have not toughened our terms. It is our strategy providing for the support of the real sector, policy of long-term cooperation with our customers and mutual trust that have let us achieve the desired goal – today more than 28,000 companies are our clients.
Q.: Since the beginning of the crisis, the Russian leadership has been paying more attention to the development of the real sector. How does it affect your Bank’s credit policy?
A.: Support of the real sector has always been our strategic task. We are actively crediting such spheres as agricultural complex, construction industry, recreation and hotel business, food industry, vegetable growing and gardening – i.e. businesses with a high potential for import substitution.
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